Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi on Monday announced that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s entire political leadership, alongside its allies such as the opposition coalition Tehreek Tahaffuz-e-Ayeen Pakistan (TTAP), was on board for a long march to Islamabad on September 27, warning that the public’s anger over ongoing injustices may become unmanageable.

Speaking on a private news programme, ‘Capital Talk‘, he said that the “entire political leadership of PTI, both federal and provincial, is on board for the protest, including our allies, Tehreek-e-Tahaffuz-e-Ayeen-e-Pakistan. We have collectively decided on the date of 27”.

Afridi stated that the protest was a last resort after democratic avenues to secure PTI founder Imran Khan’s release were exhausted. He lamented that Imran was being treated like a “kidnapped individual” rather than a political prisoner, held in “solitary confinement and isolation for the past seven to eight months”.

“We are not able to meet him, his sisters are not able to meet him, and his doctors and lawyers are not being granted permission,” Afridi stated, adding that requests to the prime minister, the National Assembly speaker, and the Islamabad High Court to intervene had all failed.

“When you push a large political party pursuing all legal and constitutional avenues against the wall, the only method that remains is that of protest,” he asserted, citing the constitutional right to peaceful assembly.

Outlining the party’s demands, Afridi called for Imran to “be given justice and for his cases to be heard strictly on merit”, adding that the media be allowed to cover the “proceedings to uncover the fact that these are politically motivated cases”.

He further demanded that the former premier be immediately granted access to his doctors for medical treatment and to his legal counsel.

CM Afridi urged reflection on the burden placed on the PTI’s central leadership, which he said had been forced to placate crowds chanting slogans for a march on D-Chowk.

READ: PTI divided over Sept 27 long march

“On September 27, the people and youth will show up in large numbers, and no one will be able to manage their anger,” he warned. He noted that the public’s mind was fixated on past events, as well as injustices against Imran, his sisters and incarcerated PTI leaders. “The nation is watching all this and is angry.”

Responding to a question regarding questions raised by Aleema Khan, Afridi clarified that she was a “non-political person and has nothing to do with politics”. “When we explain to her the facts and figures, I am sure that we will be able to make her understand,” he added.

When questioned about allegations of striking a deal, CM Afridi dismissed them as an attempt to mislead the public. “Anyone sincere with Imran Khan and PTI will not level such accusations on public platforms,” he remarked.

He also categorically denied rumours of a meeting with Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on August 4, terming them as “utterly baseless”.

Questioning the performance of the federal government, Afridi criticised the economic downturn, noting a drop in GDP growth from 6% during Imran’s tenure to 3% at present. He also highlighted limited agricultural and industrial growth, a $35 billion trade deficit, and a significant brain drain of youth and professionals from the country.

Responding to a question as to why the federal and provincial governments cannot sit and work together, Afridi accused the authorities of pushing PTI against the wall, adding that after the regime change operation, peace in K-P was disturbed. Despite this, he expressed his willingness to engage with the Afghan government on behalf of the country to settle ongoing disputes.

READ MORE: Force alone can’t ensure lasting peace: CM Afridi

Afridi further claimed that he could “bring peace and end terrorism within 100 days”, noting that he had already submitted a policy and made a Provincial Action Plan for this purpose.

He maintained that the PTI would call off the long march if directed by Imran. “I have promised the nation that this political office I hold is due to Imran Khan. Even if I were to lose my office, my government, or my life, I do not care,” he stated.

Earlier, Afridi announced a long march towards Islamabad at a rally in Peshawar on August 5, declaring that, according to his team, the march would continue until its objectives were achieved.

The announcement, however, appeared to catch even some party leaders off guard, with several of them expressing complete ignorance about the plan when approached immediately afterwards.

It was also learned that the local PTI chapter in K-P was opposed to the proposed long march, with the hashtag “27 September Long March Na Manzoor (unacceptable)” being pushed on social media.

A senior party leader, however, said that from the campaign for Imran’s release to the latest long march announcement, Afridi had often made such announcements in the heat of the movement and discussed them with the party leadership afterwards.

He said PTI had not been consulted at any level and that no one knew what the K-P chief minister was planning.

He added that close aides of the chief minister were trying to put the responsibility for the Sept 27 announcement on the party, but “that’s a lie” because the party had no prior knowledge of it.

When asked whether the party had been taken into confidence, PTI Central Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram said that, on Imran’s instructions, Afridi was in charge of the street movement and could take decisions at his own discretion.

Imran was ousted as prime minister through a parliamentary vote of no confidence on April 10, 2022, and a year later, on May 9, 2023, he was detained by the authorities in the Al-Qadir Trust case, leading to widespread riots across the country, serving as the fodder for more cases against the PTI founder.

Since August 2023, the PTI founder has been serving a sentence at Adiala Jail in a £190 million corruption case.

Furthermore, Imran and Bushra Bibi were also convicted on December 20, 2025, to 17 years in prison in the Toshakhana-II case, which pertains to allegations that the couple unlawfully retained a Bulgari jewellery set gifted by the Saudi crown prince during an official visit to Saudi Arabia.

The PTI founder also faces pending trials under the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) in connection with the May 2023 protests.